BLYNK

http://www.blynk.it/

Capabilities :

Blynk is a company that creates dedicated applications for hotels.  Blynk iHotel provides hospitality solutions to improve the guest experience by offering an interactive platform.

Indeed, thanks to the application, clients can discover the hotel and its services but also interact with the staff. They can for example order room service, be in direct relation with the concierge or address all kind of requests.  In terms of management this tool allows hoteliers to have a better control of the stay experience and to revolutionize and modernize their offer. They adapt to customers needs and habits in terms of new web navigation and on mobile devices.

For the customers: 

·         Hotel services: booking, spa, restaurant, pool..

·         Concierge

·         Shopping

·         Special offers: get information about the discounts of the hotel but also after the stay

·         Notification: about their requests and reservations status…

·         Other features:  weather, laundry, wake up call, express check out

For hotels: 

·         Fast and easy set up

·         Live update

·         Customizable design

·         Track guest requests

·         Smart advertising

·         Real time resorts and statistics

·         Increase REVPAR

·         Optimize workforce

·         Improve work organization

Costs :

Blynk provides four different packages at different prices.

 

For each packages, different options are suggested:

- Setup & Usage

- Hotel CMS

- Hotel Marketing

- Guest experience

Different prices are setup according to the hotel inventory.

Example: for a hotel of more than 101 rooms, the package "Pro Unlimited" is requested at $299 per month and includes all the options above.

We can say that the prices are very attractive.

Impact:

Beyond the simple booking engine, the application is a real Customer Relationship Manager. It can durably increase the hotel bookings & revenues as clients have a simplest access to services. Blink will also improve employee’s way of working and thus their productivity and the quality of service.

The application will perfectly fit to hotels that are familiar with new devices and technologies like W hotels or Mama Shelter.

Personally, I would register to this website if the hotel is a big one (more than 100 rooms) because it will incredibly increase the quality of service and because the cost is not really high.

Crowdsourcing: Increase Direct Bookings (Team Work)

      

      In collaboration with Marie Charbonnier, Jessica Robles, Valentine Follin- Arbelet, here are our 4 best ideas in order to increase Direct Bookings.   

• Optimize your presence online

-          Well designed and attractive website

-          Good referencing

-          Online community (social media)

-          E-reputation (tripadvisor)

-          Online booking (platform, links..)

-          Get free or charged direct links to your website on bloggers, tourism offices..

• Pricing strategy

-          Differentiate from other channels (distribution channels) by including for the same price more services ex : BB , museum, chocolate, transports….

-          Create attractive  and originals packages  adapted to all kind of clientele

-          Promotions

• Facilitate booking process

-          Different options for the payment

-          Train the staff to be welcoming and able to inform the guests

-          Be reactive on the phone, per email…

• Create a strong relationship with your guests

-          Create loyalty program to encourage direct bookings

-          Organize events and contests to create a first connection with guests or to reinforce the relationship with your customers

-          Satisfaction surveys

Direct booking optimization for independent hotels

Hotel websites linking to reviews

September 24, 2012

By Hugo Martín, Los Angeles Times

The online review of the Best Western hotel in Eagle Rock started with a critical headline: "Very poor quality, will never stay here again." What is surprising is that the review was posted on a link found on the hotel's own website. Best Western International, one of the world's largest hotel chains, announced last week that it had redesigned its website, adding links to reviews submitted by guests to the website TripAdvisor. The move marks a trend in the hotel industry.

Analysis of the article :

Best Western Hotel in Eagle Rock, after they announced some modifications on their official Website by including a link to reviews posted by guests to the Tripadvisor Website.

I found this article very interesting as it is very actual : it is about a new tendancy concerning Hotel’s marketing actions, using social media in their strategy to inform, to promote and to increase their sell’s volume.

This article shows very well the importance of being very carefull with every social media. Otherwise, as explained in the article, it could have a very deep and negative impact for hotels. It is all about choosing the optimal use of all social media trying to take advantage of those sites, and not to be penalize instead.